CANNY shoppers queued in their thousands through the early hours in annual Boxing Day hunt to grab a bargain.

Sales fever swept through stores and shopping centres in Wrexham, Broughton, Llandudno and Bangor and across the region

More than 1,000 bargain hunters started queuing from 3am outside the Next fashion store at Wrexham’s Eagles Meadow shopping centre.

By 6am, when staff threw open the doors signalling the start of the sale, the queue of shoppers snaked right around the shopping centre.

That scene was repeated in Flintshire’s Broughton Shopping Park and in Bangor and Llandudno.

Eagles Meadow manager Claire Birchall arrived at 5am and was amazed at the number of people waiting patiently for the sale to begin.

She said: “I am expecting our busiest ever day ever here in Wrexham.

“The queue is immense but people have been very patient. We are allowing 500 people in initially and then it will have to be a system of 10 out 10 in, that’s the only way we ensure customer and staff safety.

“I must admit I have never seen it so busy, it’s incredible.”

Colin Gilligan – who manages Mostyn Champneys in Llandudno and the Broughton Shopping Park – described trade at the two retail parks as “very brisk”.

He said: “The message I have been getting is that all week, in the run up to Christmas and through to Boxing Day, there has been a significant increase in sales and footfall.

“The unseasonably warm weather has played its part but this week has been much improved.”

Laura Jones and Louise Thomas of Wrexham rose ridiculously early to be first in line waiting for the doors to open at Eagles Meadow on Boxing Day morning

Laura said: “We got here at 3.10am and to be honest we didn’t think we would be first in the queue. I just want children’s clothes.”

Louise added: “I’m just going to grab what I can and then sort it out somewhere quiet. It’s simple, grab handfuls or you miss out.”

First out of the store carrying a bag of bargains was Wrexham lorry driver Steve Crowe.

He said: “It is chaos, no doubt about it. However, I only went to the menswear section, which was relatively sane. I came on Saturday and spotted what I want and knew where it was.”